Cleaning device for venetian blinds and the like



J. P. ZAIDAN Jul 14-, 1970 CLEANING DEVICE FOR VENETIAN BLINDS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 22, 1968 J. P. Z 67/00/7 M 6? @014;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,520,018 CLEANING DEVICE FOR VENETIAN BLINDS AND THE LIKE Joseph P. Zaidan, 1234 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19146 Filed Jan. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 699,708 Int. Cl. A47] 9/06 US. Cl. -394 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A body molded of plastic or hard rubber is provided with one end of circular cross-section connectable to a vacuum cleaner hose, while the other end is bifurcated to provide spaced arms each carrying inwardly projecting brushes engageable with individual slats of the Venetian blind to clean them, the dust loosened from the blind being carried off by the vacuum cleaner hose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the art of cleaning flat elements, such as Venetian blind slats, jalousies, and phonograph records. A somewhat similar device is shown in each of my prior patents, Nos. 2,608,710, granted Sept. 2, 1952, and 2,804,640, granted Sept. 3, 1957. Each of these devices, as in the present case, embodies a molded body, preferably of hard rubber or rigid plastic, having a nozzle at one end connectable to a vacuum cleaner hose and provided at its other end with spaced arms, each of which carries a brush body slidable therein and having inwardly projecting bristles coming substantially in contact with each other to be displaced by flexing upon the introduction therebetween of articles to be cleaned, such as Venetian blind slats, jalousies and phonograph records.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is an improvement over the structures in my prior patents referred to. Each of the brush supporting arms is substantially semicircular in cross-section and each is provided with a longitudinal inwardly projecting slotted rib to receive the body of one of the brushes. Whereas in my prior patents I thought it necessary to provide the brush bodies with apertures for the passage of air therethrough under the influence of the vacuum cleaner, I find that such apertures are unnecessary in view of the hollow, semi-circular nature of each of the brush carrying arms. The rib through the center of each arm divides the interior of the latter into two channels which it has been found, provide efficient conducting channels for the air being drawn into the vacuum cleaner. The device is thus improved in appearance, made more economical to manufacture, and more efficient in operation.

In each of the prior patents an abutment is provided at the inner limit of the arms, and each such abutment is of relatively hard material. In the present case, a somewhat similar but simplified abutment is employed having a contact element of relatively soft material engageable with the edge of an inserted element to be cleaned to prevent damage to such element.

As an added feature, made particularly convenient to use because of the semi-circular cross-sectional shape of each brush supporting arm, a soft flexible sleeve is adapted to be slipped over each of the arms with the two sleeves between the arms contacting with each other for engage ment with opposite faces of Venetian blind slats, for example, to facilitate the washing of these elements, when washing rather than dusting is found advisable. The contacting portions of the flexible sleeves are preferably made of such material as sponge rubber to give a soft 3,520,018 Patented July 14, 1970 washing action without any abrasion of the articles being cleaned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 10 designates the body of the device as a whole formed of relatively stiff material such as plastic or hard rubber. One end 12 of the device is of circular cross-section and has a cylindrical end 14 engageable with a hose of a vacuum cleaner. The interior of the end 12 obviously is hollow as at 16 for the passage therethrough of air moving to the vacuum cleaner.

The other end of the body is bifurcated to provide arms 18, each of which is of semi-circular cross-section, as shown in FIG. 3. Along the center of the interior of each arm 18 is a longitudinal rib 20 dividing the interior of each arm to form straight channels 22 communicating with the interior of the end 12 of the body, as further referred to below. Each rib 20 is grooved as at 24 to slideably receive a brush body 26 having inwardly projecting bristles 28 substantially contacted centrally of the device.

The space between the arms 18 and the space 16 is divided by a transverse abutment 30 formed of relatively soft material such as a relatively soft plastic or rubber. This abutment may be bonded at its ends to the body at the points 32 which lie at the adjacent limit of the end 12 of the device. The abutment 30 is of a width substantially less than the diameter of the body at the point where the abutment is located, thus providing air passages 34 connecting the channels 22 (FIG. 3) with the space 16.

If desired, the brush bodies may be replaced by similar bodies 36 (FIG. 4) carrying suede or felt or any other similar type of soft cleaning elements 38, each bent back upon itself with the looped ends of these cleaning elements engageable with articles to be cleaned.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the use of the device preferably for washing Venetian blinds and similar elements has been shown. Each arm 18 is surrounded by a soft flexible sleeve indicated as a whole by the numeral 40, the portion 42 of each sleeve extending around one of the arms 18 being of soft solid rubber with the remaining portion 44, extending across the inside of the arm, preferably being formed of sponge rubber. These cleaning elements may be used with the brushes in position or removed, or they may be used in conjunction with the form of the device shown in FIG. 4.

OPERATION With the device shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 assembled with the brushes in position, the end 12 of the closed section will be connected to a vacuum cleaner hose. The bifurcated end of the device then may be slipped over one end of a Venetian blind slat and moved therealong to brush dust therefrom, the dust being picked up in the air stream created by the vacuum cleaner and moved through channels 22, openings 34 and space 16 into the vacuum cleaner hose. The device may be moved along the slat in a back and forth motion progressively from one end to the other to effectively clean dust from the slat. All of the slats of the blind will be successively cleaned in the same manner; It has been found unnecessary to provide the brush holders 26 with apertures for the passage of air therethrough. In my prior Pat. No. 2,608,710 the arms have their outer faces curved, but the arms are solid; whereas, the present arms are of semi-circular cross-section and hollow. The arms of my prior Pat. 2,804,640 are hollow, but they are substantially square in section providing corner spaces in Which substantial eddy currents occur and wherein the cross-sectional area of the passage between each arm is oversized for the fast movement of air therethrough. The hollow semi-circular arms in the present case, with the spaces therebetween divided from end to end by the ribs 20, provides air channels 22 straight from end to end and of limited cross-sectional area for the rapid flow of air therethrough, thus rendering the device more efficient in moving dust into the vacuum cleaner. The edges of the arms are rounded as shown in FIG. 3, thus rendering them safer in use and eliminating any danger of abrading the fingers of the user or abrading the surfaces being cleaned.

The passage of air is also more efficiently carried to the vacuum cleaner by the shortening of the device, the space 16 directly communicating with the channels 22 instead of having to flow through relatively long channels, as in my prior patents referred to.

The space 16 and channels 22 are separated only by the relatively thin abutment 30. The fact that this element is of soft material prevents any damage to the edges of articles which may be moved too rapidly between the brushes 28. In addition to cleaning Venetian blinds, it is obvious that the device is effective in cleaning phonograph records and jalousies. One end of a phonograph record may be moved between the brushes 2.8 whereupon the record may be manually rotated on its axis to effectively clean the record throughout the area of both sur faces thereof.

If desired, the soft elements 38 in FIG. 4 may be used to dislodge dust from the article being cleaned in much the same manner that this function is performed by the brushes 28. The device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is adapted particularly for the washingof articles to be cleaned. The arms of the device may be dipped into detergent-containing water, whereby the Venetian blind slats or other articles may be washed. As dirt accumulates on the soft sleeves 40, the device may be dipped into the water to rinse it, whereupon the same surfaces may be washed again, if desired. After washing, the surfaces may be wiped dry.

It will be apparent that the present device is shorter and involves simple molding problems and presents an improved appearance over the device in my prior patents. It also will be apparent that the cleaning action is more efliciently carried out for the reasons stated, and that the elements or articles inserted between the brushes or other cleaning elements are protected from damage by the soft abutment 30.

Each of the cleaning units shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has its body 24 or 36 slidable in the groove in the rib and frictionally held in position therein.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved cleaning device for Venetian blinds and the like which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance. 1

As various embodiments may bemade of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: I

1. A cleaning device for fiat objects such as Venetian blind slats comprising a molded body having one end of hollow cross-section adapted for connection to a vacuum cleaner, the other end of the body being bifurcated to provide spaced arms of semicircular hollow cross-section, each arm being provided centrally of the width thereof with a longitudinal rib having a longitudinally extending recess therein open at its outer end, an abutment within the body between said arms and adjacent said one end, said abutment being formed of rubber material engageable with the adjacent edge of an article to be cleaned to protect such edge from damage, a cleaning element comprising a U-shaped body slidable in a recess in an internal rib, each U-shaped body having secured therein the edges of a sheet of felt or the like bent back upon itself longitudinally, the looped ends of the sheets extending inwardly in confronting relation in said molded body, the ends being in engagement, each furcation of said body being provided with a sleeve of sheet material enclosing the furcation but terminating short of the ends thereof, said sleeves each having an inner confronting surface of sponge rubber and an outer surface of soft solid rubber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,178,849 11/1939 Brewer 15394 2,271,694 2/1942 Johnson 15-394 2,599,420 6/1952 Westhofi et al 15394 2,789,307 4/1957 Sussman et al 15394 2,821,736 2/ 1958 Kasper 15--39'4 FOREIGN PATENTS 160,686 1/ 1955 Australia.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15210 

